Wireless printing can be extremely useful. Most newer printers can connect directly to your wireless network. This will allow you to print to the printer from any computer on your network. You can also print to your wireless printer from your Android or iOS device, though this usually requires a little more configuring.

Steps

Part 1

Connecting the Printer

1

Place the printer within range of your wireless router. Most modern printers have Wi-Fi capability, allowing you to set them up without connecting to any of your computers. The printer will need to be in range of your wireless router in order to connect to it.

If your printer does not have wireless capabilities, see the next section.

2

Power on the printer. You'll be connecting to the wireless network directly from the printer, so you don't need to connect it to a computer first.

3

Connect the printer to your wireless network. The process for this will vary depending on the printer. You'll need to know your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password.[1]

Many printers will allow you to connect to the wireless network using the built-in menu system. Refer to the printer's documentation for the exact location. If you can't find your manual, you can almost always download a PDF copy from the manufacturer's Support site.

If your printer and router both support WPS push-to-connect, simply push the WPS button on your printer, then press the WPS button on your router within two minutes. The connection will be made automatically.

Some older wireless printers may require you to connect to a computer first to set up the wireless connection. This is common if the printer doesn't have a built-in menu, but does support wireless. Connect the printer to your computer via USB, and use the included software to set up the printer's wireless connection. After configuring its wireless, you can disconnect it from your computer and place it where you want.

4

Add the printer on your Windows computer. After connecting the printer to your network, you can add it to your Windows computer so that you can print to it.[2]

Open the Control Panel from the Start menu (Windows 7 and earlier), or by right-clicking the Windows button (Windows 8 and later).

Select "View devices and printers" or "Devices and Printers."

Click the "Add a printer" button at the top of the window.

Select your printer from the list. It may take a moment to appear.

Install any drivers if prompted. Windows should be able to automatically install drivers for most popular printers.

5

Add the printer on your Mac computer. If you're using a Mac and the printer is Mac-compatible, you can add it after connecting it to the network.

Click the Apple menu and select "System Preferences."

Click the "Print & Scan" button.

Click the "+" button at the bottom of the list of printers.

Select your new printer from the list and follow the prompts to install any necessary software.

6

Print to your wireless printer. Once your printer has been added to your operating system, you can select it from any program that can print. Your new printer will appear in the "Printer" selection menu when you go to print your document or photo.[3]

If your new printer isn't showing up, make sure that your computer is connected to the same network. Sometimes restarting your printer can make it appear again.

Part 2

Printing from an Android

1

Set up your printer so that it is connected to the network or to a computer. Before you can print from your Android device, your printer will need to be properly connected to your home network using the steps above, or directly to your computer via USB. You'll be adding the printer to Google Cloud Print, which will allow you to send print jobs to it from anywhere from any app that support printing.

If the printer supports Google Cloud Print, you'll be able to add it with minimal fuss. If the printer does not support Google Cloud Print, you'll need to add it using a computer that the printer is already installed on.

2

Connect your network printer to Google Cloud Print directly (if possible). If your printer supports Google Cloud Print, you'll be able to connect it to your Google account directly from the printer's built-in menu. Follow the prompts to log in with your Google account. Make sure this is the same Google account that is associated with your Android device.

If you can connect your printer to Google Cloud Print, you can skip down to Step 9.

If your printer does not support Google Cloud Print, you can still add it through your computer.

3

Open Chrome on your computer if the printer does not support Google Cloud Print. If the printer cannot connect directly to Google Cloud Print, you'll need to add it to your Google account manually. The downside to this is that the printer will only be available while your computer is turned on and logged in.

You'll need Chrome to set up your Google Cloud Print services.

Make sure you're using a computer that can already access the printer on the network. Follow the steps in the previous section to connect your computer to your wireless printer first.

4

Click the Chrome menu button and select "Settings." This will open a new tab.

5

Click the "Show advanced settings" link and then scroll down. You'll find the Google Cloud Print section towards the bottom of the menu.

6

Click the "Manage" button to open the Google Cloud Print manager. You'll see a list of your currently-connected devices.

If you are asked to sign in, make sure you sign in with the same Google account that's associated with your Android device.

7

Click "Add printers" and you'll see a list of printers connected to your computer. You may have multiple devices listed here, especially if your printer is a fax machine as well.

Download the Cloud Print app on your Android device. This will allow you to access your Google Cloud Print printers from your Android. You can download it for free from the Google Play Store.

10

Print from your Android apps. Once Google Cloud Print is installed, you can print to your Google Cloud Print printers from any app that supports printing. Printing support varies from app to app, though most apps that open documents, images, and emails support printing. You can usually access the "Print" option from the ⋮ menu.

If you added the printer from Chrome, the computer that you added it from will need to be turned on with Chrome open or running in the background. If the printer can connect directly to Google Cloud Print, it just needs to be on and connected to the network.

Part 3

Printing from an iPhone or iPad

1

Determine if your printer supports AirPrint. This feature allows iOS devices to send print jobs directly to the printer. Look for the AirPrint logo on your printer or for an AirPrint option in the printer's Settings menu.

Some printers need to be configured to use AirPrint first.

AirPrint printers will need to be connected to the same network as your iOS device. Follow the steps at the top of this article to connect your printer to the network.

Open the app that you want to print from. Not all apps support AirPrint, but most apps from Apple and other major developers do. You'll be most likely to find AirPrint options in apps that can open documents, email, and pictures.

3

Open the item you want to print. Use the app to open the document, picture, or email that you want to print.

4

Tap the "Share" button and select "AirPrint." This will allow you to select your AirPrint printer.

Make sure you're connected to the same network as the printer.

5

Select your printer and tap "Print." Your file will be sent to your AirPrint printer.

Community Q&A

Yes. Once you have the printer setup and connected to the wireless network, just install the drivers on your laptop. As long as your laptop is connected to the same network as your printer, you should be able to send print jobs to your printer over the network.

Yes, but only if you plan to use the wireless function. If you plan on not using the printer for a long time, you can turn it off. However, most printers have sit in a low power standby state when not in use, and will activate fully when sent a print job.

Make sure the printer has been properly installed and setup. Also, make sure you have the correct drive for the printer installed on your computer. If the printer still isn't showing up, you may have a network problem.

If the printer has a touch screen or other interface that is easy to read and understand, you should be able to go into Settings, then WiFi, and then either do a WPS protected setup or select your WiFi network and key in the password.

If your printer is meant to be wireless make sure both your printer and your phone are connected to the same WiFi. This can be done by a variety of methods, the most common way is to power on your printer and make sure you know which type it is. It will typically give off its own 'signal' to which you can connect and configure settings.

Yes, many phones can connect to wireless printers. Smartphones and iPhones should be able to connect without any problems. When you wish to print something, a box will come up that will allow you to choose the printer.

I do not have a laptop or a desktop. Can I set up a wireless printer using a router for use on an iPad and iPhone?

Community Answer

Yes, but you'll have to initially set up the wireless printer through either (a) the tiny LCD screen on the printer or (b) WPS. For method A, you have to find (on the tiny LCD screen on the printer) where you can add the printer to your wireless network, just as you would a new iPhone, where you find the wireless network and then put in the password. For method B, you press the WPS button on the printer, and within 2 minutes, press the WPS button on the router. After the wireless printer is successfully added to the network, iPhones and iPads actually have a simpler process of adding a network printer than desktop or laptop computers do.